Stephens is strategist for global company

Jennifer Means Stephens ’94 is a managing partner and clinical director at Pharmerit’s North America office in Bethesda, Maryland.

Working in a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) consultancy, she focuses on market assessments, economic modeling, design and implementation of prospective studies, education programs, and many other strategic areas requiring a challenging blend of evaluation and vision.

The company was founded in 2000 to foster creative collaboration among researchers dedicated to uncovering and communicating the value of healthcare interventions, and is now part of the OPEN Health Group an agency combining HEOR research with Medical Affairs strategy and Medical Communications with more than 700 people in 14 offices across six countries including the United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, India, and China.

When she joined Pharmerit in 2004, Stephens had already accrued nearly a decade of clinical expertise and international outcomes research experience from managing outcomes research groups at contract research organizations (CROs) providing a wide range of outcomes services and studies. She graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor of science in pharmacy, earned her Pharm.D. from MUSC, and did a two-year residency/fellowship at the University of Maryland-Baltimore before taking leadership roles at PAREXEL, Abt Associates, and ISPOR HTA Working Group. She is also board- certified in pharmacotherapy.

As a visionary leader in the industry, she recently broke new ground in helping MUSC pharmacy students by creating the Stephens Family Endowed Fund. This fund, which is the first endowed fund of its kind for the College, was created to support professional development initiatives of students interested in non-traditional pharmacy roles.

“It is important for students to recognize the many possibilities that come with a pharmacy degree,” said Philip Hall, dean of the MUSC College of Pharmacy. “Dr. Stephens is an inspirational example of succeeding in a non-traditional pharmacist’s role.”